Thursday, April 17, 2008

Wow...Bachmann at Wonkette

At the 3rd CD convention, the person I was sitting next to told me she'd heardfrom a Tink staffer (wouldn't say who), that Bachmann has been observed playingfootsie with another unnamed person (probably another rep) at hercommittee meetings (Financial Services Committee).

7 comments:

And I read on another blog some people who used to be on Olson's team trashed Tinklenberg to a Republican blogger who wrote it on his blog...

These things are probably only true in part at best. If a few bloggers out there keep peddling third party rumors, it will have a chilling effect on all of our speech.

For those of us (at least in our own minds) cursed with great wit, it is a dangerous time to be in politics. I am scared to death I am going to make an offhand joke, a blogger will overhear part of it, and I'll be tagged in the blogosphere as the next unibomber.

So if you see me at the sixth cd convention pretending I have laryngitis, you'll know why.

We did have some republican bloggers who sent us a lot of stuff, none of it was used. The e-mails they sent went unanswered and not acted on. The e-mails they sent me also went unanswered and even though I had a blog I refused to use it for that. So I have a good idea what's comming down the road.

It should worry us some that so little has been posted on republican blogs about our candidates. It shows they are not worried.

What is important to note is that what a candidate says will be recorded. What he has said is on record and easy to look up. So I would advise any candidate not to say one thing at a meeting in Wright county and another in Stillwater. Say what you mean and mean what you say. The bloggers are a good thing for the most part. They vet a candidate far better than a party. Pallmeyer is not worried about bloggers because he is the real deal. Madia isn't worried about bloggers either.

Bloggers feast on half truths. It was bloggers who broke the story's about Bachmann and Iran. She is afraid of them because they expose her far better than the print media or TV.

El has nothing to fear as long as he stays on message and is truthful about who he is. Isn't that what we all want.

I agree Tom, I'm sure no current Olson team members did - the post said it was former members in fact. And even on the legislative campaigns I managed, I saw all the garbage people send about your opponent. After wasting too much time trying to fact check what seemed to be primo dirt, I found most of to be untrue.

I'm not as concerned about candidate scrutiny - they know they are on stage. It's little shots like me who don't think they are being listened to. I teach seventh grade - I am not used to people paying real close attention to what I say.

Case in point: I made a joke on the floor of a convention quietly to a a friend a couple years back, only to find a blogger snuck on to the floor to eavesdrop. Thank God the guy didn't know my name and my embarrassing comment didn't stick to me.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but I'm just asking bloggers out there to have a little charity - especially for the rookies. I'd hate to see people shy away from politics, or hold back on honest debate because they are afraid of being vilified in a blog.

I will throw this one out - who cares what Bachmann is doing - except when she's not doing a very good job, or being divisive over one thing or another? Or making a joke of herself at Pastor Mac's. That's public theater.

But this latest wonkette thing - it is like her 25 foster children.

Whatever you make of it the foster parent thing is wholly irrelevant to whether she is qualified or not to be in Congress. It is not a litmus test for the job.

Barney Frank and Kieth Ellison - neither has had foster children.

Each has a good head on his shoulders. Each has sound trustworthy judgment. Each is qualified for the job. Shouldn't it end there?

Has Bachmann done a decent job?

Is what appears to be a high staff turnover rate something on a different plane?

That seems job related, to me. Tinklenberg - his lust for lobbying cash - that seems job related. If he or campaign people spend time worrying or spreading rumors about Bachmann's non-job proclivities, does it reflect badly on Bachmann, or on the rumor monger? And - wonkette does not say Tink staffer. This is local gossip.

Still, isn't it back sort of to what Julie said?

If it is not job related it is not news but gossip. If it goes at all to how you'd judge a candidate, favorably or badly as to job-performance or job related motive, that is different than who's possibly screwing who when, why and all.

And, I am getting tired of hearing about lightbulb choice.

Anyone else feel that way?

Saying wierd things about Iran as if fact and not speculation is a different kind of thing than yammering over relative merits of types of lighting.